NATCHITOCHES – After a stirring 4-3 win at home Wednesday over Texas-Arlington, Northwestern State defends its home court again Sunday against Sam Houston State in an 11 a.m. Southland Conference women's tennis match at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex.
 
NSU brings an overall 10-3 record into the contest and is 4-2 in the Southland. Sam Houston State brought a 9-4 overall record, 3-2 in conference action, into a Saturday visit to last-place Central Arkansas.
 
While four Lady Demons bring 10-3 singles records into the match, the spotlight will also fall on a freshman with just one win. Linda Gamo pulled out a third-set tiebreaker in the No. 6 position against UTA for her first collegiate singles win in four tries, and it handed NSU the match on Wednesday.
 
Andrea Nedorostova, one of those with a 10-3 singles mark, earlier had won a third-set tiebreaker to knot the match at 3-all.
 
Senior captain Olga Bazhanova and freshmen Polina Konop and Tatiana Larina also own 10-3 singles marks. Bazhanova and Konop are a team-best 12-1 at No. 1 doubles while Larina/Nedorostova are 10-3.
 
The final home action of the season for NSU is next weekend.